


Walking On Clouds

by iiRabbiit



Category: Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types, One Piece
Genre: Alternative Universe - Movie Fusion, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiRabbiit/pseuds/iiRabbiit
Summary: Makino runs her adoptive father's shop. That meant she would never get out and explore the world and never be someone special. Until she walks on the clouds and gets cursed.—Howl's Moving Castle AU where Makino is a normal hatter and Shanks is a strange wizard and there is a magical child, a fire demon, and a curse to undo.
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Makino
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend and I watched hmc like a little over a week ago and I remembered how much I liked that movie so here we are. I wanted to make this a Marco/Ace fic because that whole marco/howl bird looking thing and then I realized someone already wrote one with them. So I went to the next best thing because I thought Sophie and Makino seemed very similar and I wanted more shanks/makino content.

On most days, the train went through the Goa Kingdom and past Makino’s open window at least twice a day. The first when opening the shop and starting to work and the second was usually at closing time when she walked through the side door connected to the small house where she lived and went to sleep. The dark cloud of smoke it spat out was hard to miss but Makino had forgotten to close the window this morning. Realizing a moment too late, the smoke came in and covered the hat she was sewing accents onto. She quickly moved and closed the window when she heard someone calling her name from downstairs.

“Makino!” Her father yelled again. Makino’s father, Garp, was a loud man. He was a retired soldier who had found her and taken her in when she was a child. His late wife had apparently been the owner of the store where Makino made and sold hats alongside the other girls working with her.

“I’m coming!” She yelled back. Makino took off her apron, folding it neatly before placing it on the chair and going to see what her father needed.

As she headed downstairs, Makino overheard the other girls talking about the “Red-Haired Wizard” Shanks, again. He was a myth, alive only through the rumors spread about him. The stories always said he was a roguish scoundrel and a passionate lover making the man a popular subject among the women in the town for a few months now. They said that wherever he went, he broke the hearts of whoever fell for him and that his magic skills were shown with his walking castle—supposedly a sight to behold. Makino never inquired about the wizard and simply knew about him from passing rumors the other milliners would talk about during their breaks. 

When she got downstairs, she found her father standing there with his arms crossed and an envelope in one hand.

“Hey,” Garp said, “we’re closing up the shop for the day. Tell all the other girls they get a day off today for the parade.”

“What parade? Is it for the war?” Makino asked. She hadn’t known much about the war aside from offhand comments she heard from Garp and the others around her. It would explain why she hadn’t seen a lot of people around the shop this morning.

“Well, that stupid king of ours apparently invited some big shot wizards to the palace that are supposed to help turn the tides. But you know, I’ve never really trusted them wizards. Celebrating early seems like just another thing that no one needs: to get their hopes up that the war is ending when it might not.” The older man sighed, his distaste for wizards and witches is obvious. Makino had never really understood what his problem was with them but she never questioned him too much anyways.

He handed her the thick envelope tucked under his arm and told her to deliver it to Koby. Koby had been one of Garp’s apprentices before he retired and was only a few years younger than Makino. The package wasn’t heavy but she thought it had an odd feeling to it, something out of the ordinary that she couldn’t place. Makino returned her attention to Garp.

“It’s got some,” he paused, “important things that Koby has to deliver somewhere else. I think he should be by the docks today. Be careful with it, you hear?” 

She nodded her head before putting the package in the purse she carried on her hip. She then made her way upstairs to let the others know about their day off. Makino already knew many of them would be off to the bars to celebrate the rare time they had off. A flood of aprons and unfinished hats were thrown on the desks, many of them eager to get out the door so as to not waste any free time that they were given. 

One of the girls, Vivi, gasped in surprise. “Guys! It's the Red Force!” She cried out. Many of the girls crowded by the windows to watch as it disappeared into the clouds, leaving Makino to not be able to see it for herself. 

“Oh, it took off already.” Nami sighed. 

“I’m sure it’s just hiding from all the soldiers,” an older woman named Shakky said. “I hope none of you girls will go near it— you know the stories about Shanks stealing the hearts of cute girls like yourselves.”

All the girls laughed and walked out leaving Makino to continue working for a bit longer on the hat she was almost done with. Makino sighed and looked at the mess they had made in the rush out. After she finished adding the final details, she briefly went and folded their aprons that were thrown and swept the shop clean before she closed it for the day.

—

The streets of the Goa Kingdom were filled today with people shouting and pushing and drinking, all of them eagerly waiting to watch the parade and celebrate. With everyone out and about on the streets, Makino repeatedly excused herself to the other people in the crowd that she bumped into as she made her way through. 

Once she was through the town square, she pulled up her dress skirt and hopped onto a passing trolley. She hung on tightly and looked up to see all the planes flying flags in the sky. Soldiers marched onward and the people on the side cheered for them as they passed, a sight Makino might’ve wanted to watch had she not been on her way to the docks. Makino made her way down the plaza staircase, walking past many houses and shops on her way, many closed for the festivities. As she absentmindedly slipped through a few alleys as a shortcut, she bumped into a group of the kingdom’s soldiers. 

“Hey there, miss.” He crooned. Makino blinked and looked up at him, quickly taking a step back. He was about a little less than a head taller than her and had a X-shaped scar above his right eye. She already knew she didn’t want to get into any conflict with him nor the brown-haired soldier standing beside him. “It looks like someone is lost.”

“Oh no,” she smiled nervously. “I’m not lost. Please excuse me.”

As she tried to step around them, the other soldier stepped up to join his friend. “We can help take you wherever you need to go. How does a drink at the bar sound?” he asked, ignoring her statement. 

“What’s your name?” The first soldier asked. His hand reached towards her and Makino felt her body tense up, the hand nearing her shoulder. She was about to take a step back, ready to try to get away before another hand touched her shoulder from behind and pulled her back against another body, away from the soldiers.

“There you are, dear,” a new voice greeted, distantly amused. “Sorry that I’m a little late but I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I was starting to worry.”

Makino looked on her shoulder to see a hand, covered with glittering rings, before looking at the man that it was attached to. Turning her head, her breath stammered as she looked at the new stranger who had just appeared out of thin air. 

Her gaze traveled downwards, from his hair to his broad shoulders, draped in a long black cloak covering a half-buttoned white shirt, then down to his sandal-clad feet. The most eye-catching thing about the man was his hair. It was the brightest shade of red she had ever seen, a deep crimson color. His hair was slightly wavy and its length curled a little below his jaw. He was more than a head taller than her and carried an air of importance that made him seem even bigger. 

“Hey!” Snapped the soldier with the scar. “We’re busy here.”

“Really?” The red-haired man sarcastically replied. “And here I thought the two of you were just leaving. Go on, take a hike.” 

With a few gestures of his hand, the soldiers were forced to assume marching form and walk away despite their abruptly alarmed protests. Makino turned around and looked at the man now standing in front of her. 

“Ah,” Makino stammered. The words to thank him were having trouble coming out of her mouth. Seeing that she wasn’t saying anything, he smiled.

“Sorry for intruding there, I just thought you looked a bit uncomfortable,” he said quietly. “ I hope you don’t hold it against them too much _—_ not all soldiers are like that, they’re just afraid of what’s waiting for them in the war.”

“Thank you,” Makino finally said. She couldn’t help but blush a little as she continued looking at him, he was very charming. 

“So, where to?” He asked. “I’ll escort you there.”

Makino just shook her head. “No it’s fine. Really! I’m just headed to the docks.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to accept his offer, he started grinning and offered his arm. “Act normal, we’re being followed.”

As he started walking away, she unconsciously grabbed a hold of his arm and began walking in step with him. Slowly around them, black monsters oozed out of the walls and they began to walk faster.

“Sorry about this in advance, you’re probably going to be involved in this mess now,” he said.

Makino could only glance around in shock, she was having a bit of trouble breathing now. “I think I would've preferred not to have been involved in the first place!” 

He surprisingly laughed at her reply. “We all want things. But what a turn of events this turned out to be, huh?” Makino didn’t have time to respond to his words as they started picking up the pace and more monsters started appearing in the direction that they were running to. They turned the corner sharply into another alley that Makino realized was blocked by monsters oozing out of the wall. 

“Hold on!” The wizard said and took a leap forward towards the creatures before them, all but tightly holding Makino against his side, and she shut her eyes in a moment of fear.

She kept her eyes shut, until she heard the man chuckle. “Put a little faith in me, Miss. I do happen to know what I’m doing.”

Makino cracked her eyes open and looked to see that they were high above the parade, slowly gliding in the sky. She could feel her kerchief blowing in the wind.

“Oh.” Makino let out a breath quietly.

The man, still holding her hand against his, moved his hand from around her waist to her other hand. “There now, straighten your legs and slowly start walking.” 

Complying with his words, she put down her feet and tried to match his pace. She was still in awe that they were walking through the sky.

“You’re a natural,” he murmured in her ear. “I like that.” 

Makino could feel her face heat up a little. She looked around and thought she could make out the pier in the distance. Floating down, he spun her around and Makino was settled onto the balcony of one of the bars by the dock. The wizard looked at her. “You should wait a bit before heading to the docks. I'll make sure to deal with all the trouble.”

She nodded, still a little starstruck from flying. He grinned and the corner of his eyes turned up. “That’s my girl.” He said before jumping off the ledge.

Makino gasped before running to see him only for him to have disappeared into thin air. She stood in the same spot for a moment before remembering that she still had the package in her purse to deliver to Koby. Turning around she made her way to the docks.

—

“Koby,” Helmeppo called out. “Makino’s here for you!”

“Makino!” Koby yelled. She snapped out of her thoughts and saw Koby running to her. Makino just smiled while he stared at her in surprise, obviously not expecting to find her here.

“Garp wanted me to take this to you but I got caught up in a bit of trouble.”

“What kind of trouble? People are saying you came here flying down from the sky. Did you grow wings and became an angel all of a sudden?” He fired out quickly.

Makino sighed and sat on one of the cargo boxes and began retelling him about the man who saved her from the soldiers and flew her here. After she was done, she turned to see Koby staring at her.

“What?” She asked

“So was he a wizard?” He asked. “Don’t tell me he stole your heart now. If that was ‘Red Haired’ Shanks, then he would’ve stolen it and eaten it.”

“Even if it was Shanks, I would’ve been fine. Everyone knows he only goes after beauties.”

Koby shook his head. “That’s exactly why he would’ve stolen your heart! Makino you have to be more cautious, I heard that the Witch of the Waste is in the area too.” He looked back at her to see her in a daze. “Makino, are you still listening?”

She looked back at him and he sighed before being called back to work by Helmeppo. They both stood up and Koby turned to look at her with a frown. “Are you really going to keep running Garp’s shop for the rest of your life?”

Makino looked down in thought before looking at him again. “Garp did a lot for me and if he can’t run the shop, then it’d be my way of repaying him. You know that shop meant a lot for him and his wife.”

“That’s not what I meant. I know how important it was for his family but you still have your life ahead of you, live a little Makino.”

Makino sighed but before her mouth opened to tell him how she felt, she was interrupted. “Koby! Come on already or the ship is gonna leave without you!” Helmeppo called out from a distance. 

““Be careful, Makino!” Koby called out to her while they both went their separate ways. 

Unbeknownst to Makino, someone had been watching her from the shadows and started following her back home. Someone who wanted to meet the girl that had caught the attention of the Red-Haired Wizard.

—

As Makino rode the last trolley back home, she looked back at the city and thought of the events that had happened today. She hopped off at her stop and started walking faster to get home before the sun set. 

Makino unlocked the door to the shop and went inside before locking the door behind her. She undid the kerchief in her hair before placing it on the front table. As she struck a match and lit up one of the lamps, the bell above the door chimed.

A large woman, covered head to toe in pink clothing, entered the shop. She wore small candy-like accessories and a large hat that shadowed her face from view. Makino’s eyes hurt from looking at all the bright pink the woman was covered in.

“A cheap-looking shop, filled with cheap-looking hats,” she said looking around before setting her eyes on Makino. “Run by a cheap-looking girl such as yourself.”

Makino bristled at the comment but did not give in to her taunt. “This is after all, a simple hat shop,” she said as she walked towards the door, opening it and looking back at the customer. “And if you don’t like it, you can walk right back out this cheap-looking door. We’re closed now.” She said with an air on finality.

The woman smiled at her, seeming to grow a little larger. “You’re quite brave talking to the Witch of the Waste like that”

Makino looked at her with confusion written on her face. “Witch of the Waste?” She turned around and gasped. Standing right outside the door were the same dark monsters she had run away from earlier, dressed in suits and wearing white masks.

The witch laughed and flew towards Makino. She raised her hands to cover her face but before she knew it, the older woman had flown through her right back out the door, turning to look back into the hat shop. 

“You won’t be able to tell anyone about that spell,” she said with a spark in her eye. “Give my regards to Shanks.” The door slammed closed behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope people keep reading while i write on...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> without my amazing talented homie, who edits my fics, you guys might've not read my content... like, i write at crackhead hours and the mistakes i made writing this omg

Makino looked around and was glad that the shop was mostly untouched after the encounter, only her kerchief was blown away, laying on the floor in front of her. She went to pick it up when she felt an itch in her lungs. Grasping her chest before looking down, she saw that her hands were covered in large veins and suddenly were very wrinkled. She rushed over to the nearest mirror and gasped.

Her hair that used to be the color of sea glass was now a lighter gray color, the color she would normally not be seeing until decades later, and her braided hair felt more rigged. Her face now littered with wrinkles, sagged as she touched it. Makino paced back and forth in the shop entrance before grabbing her belongings and walking through the side door to her room. Her mind raced at the events of today and she decided to go to bed before she threw herself into an anxiety attack. _Maybe today would just end up being a bad dream_ , she hoped.

—

When Garp walked into the shop in the afternoon, he quickly noticed that Makino had been missing. Turning to the other girls working, he had asked if anyone knew where she was.

“She hasn’t come all morning,” Shakky said. “I went to her room earlier but she said she wasn’t feeling good today.”

He pondered for a moment before deciding to go check up on her himself. “I wonder if she came down with something.”

Garp walked out of the shop to the connecting house and climbed up the stairs to Makino’s room, he repeatedly called her name to see if she would respond. Makino rarely got sick and even then, it was never that bad to where she was in bed all day. Hearing no response, he knocked on her door.

“Makino! Are you good there?” He called. A raspy voice behind the door answered him back.

“Don’t come in,” she said. “I came down with a terrible cold. I wouldn’t want for any of you to get it from me.”

“Wow… You sound like a 80-year old woman, Makino. Want me to get something for you? You know I can’t cook for shit but I can pick something up from one of the restaurants.” He suggested.

“It’s fine,” she said, it was getting harder for her to respond back, her lungs taking more energy to use than she thought. “I’ll be fine, just let me rest for the day and I’ll be better tomorrow hopefully.”

“Whatever you say.” She listened and heard his footsteps as he walked back down the stairs.

”How am i even supposed to break this curse,” she wondered. And then she remembered what the witch said. As if she had a revelation, she got out of bed and began making her escape to find the wizard she had met yesterday.

She looked into the small mirror she had in her room and stared before smiling. “You’ll be fine, old girl,” she told her reflection. She had always been told that her clothes made her look like an old barmaid and she thought that now, maybe it was true. “These clothes finally suit you and you’re still healthy enough to find a way to cure this spell.” 

As she tied her kerchief back on her head, she grabbed a makeshift bag and made her way out of her room. _This body is harder to walk in_ , she realized. Makino couldn’t move as well as she used to and heard her bones pop from walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed some bread and cheese and packed it into her bag for lunch to eat later. 

The old woman turned to look back towards the door to the hat shop, to her daily routine, and smiled wistfully. Makino then made her way out the door of her current life and into the unknown. 

—

Walking through the town, no one even glanced her way. _Not like anyone did before anyways_ , she smiled. The first train had just passed as Makino made her way across the walkway above it; the dark clouds covering her body as she passed through it. Going down the stairs, a young man offered her a hand. “No thank you, sir” she declined. “I’ll manage on my own.” 

As she hobbled through the area, she saw one of wagons that carried goods to trade in the next town over. An idea popped into her head and she called out to one coachmans and asked if they could take her.

“Sure, granny,” the younger one of the two replied, a young boy who looked no older than ten. “Where you headin’ anyways?”

The older coachman, presumably the boy’s father, smacked him. “Just a little farther than where you’re going,” she chuckled. The coachmen looked at each other and shrugged before turning back to her.

“No reason to not let you on, ma’am.” They replied and assisted her up onto the back of the wagon.

Past the gate of the kingdom, the valley road’s uneven surface made her swing from side to side the whole ride to the next town. It was quiet, passing the open fields, wildflowers blooming and the occasional tree she saw in the distance made the corners of her mouth curl upwards. She had never really been outside the kingdom and especially like this, never able to enjoy the little things she saw looking around now. It was peaceful in a way Makino might never experience again and she soaked in the scenery.

By the time that the horses were about to turn the corner down the path to the next town, Makino asked to get off. Further down she could see a few houses and a path leading up the hills into the mountains, partially hidden by the clouds and covered in snow. 

A few people had called out to the elderly woman, telling her it wasn’t a trip meant for a woman her age, that ahead were only wizards and witches, but she continued on, her determination to get to the moving castle powering her shaky legs.

—

As the sun beat down on Makino, she decided to take a break. She sat on one of the nearby rocks and pulled the lunch she had packed in her bag. While the view of her kingdom from afar was breathtaking, it also made her sad to think she might never see this view again. She sighed and mumbled to herself, “With these old bones, I’ve barely made any progress. At least in old age I still got good teeth.” She took another bite of her sandwich and saw something move out of the corner of her eye.

A giant stick stuck out of the bushes like a sore thumb. _That would make a good cane_ , she thought. Putting aside her bag and half eaten sandwich, she tried to get up to go pull it out and heard her back pop. Moaning at the pain in her lower back, she attempted to pull the stick out to no avail.

Makino pushed back her sleeves and mustered all the strength she had at the moment and managed to pull it out after a few more tries. Huffing and puffing, she looked up to see that it wasn’t a stick but in fact, a scarecrow.

Dressed in a top hat with goggles wrapped around it and a blue jacket, it’s look was finished with a white cravat pinned to the front of it’s shirt. It’s face had a smile drawn onto it but was still missing a tooth and some of the stuffing was showing from tiny tears in the fabric. Makino thought it was adorable.

Makino let out a breath of relief, “You scared me, scarecrow, I thought you were one of the witch’s creatures for a moment.” She stared at it for a second before realizing that it was standing on its own.

Deciding not to question it, she smiled and bid the well-dressed scarecrow a good day and continued her way back up the mountain path. Even with the roaring of the wind, she heard something digging into the ground from a distance before looking back and seeing the same scarecrow following her. It was jumping by itself and wobbling side to side in the harsh wind.

She waved it off with her tired arms. “Don’t have to follow me, magic scarecrow,” Makino pleaded. “You don’t owe me a thing for pulling you out! I don’t want to deal with any more magic than this curse has to offer!” She continued on but it still got closer to her and she gave up on trying to tell it what to do. Soon enough, when it finally climbed the way and reached her hunched over body, it dropped a cane.

Surprised, she grabbed the handle of the cane and it fit snugly under the weight she put on it. Seeing that it complied with her request for a cane, she had an idea. “Wow, it fits great, thank you, Top Hat,” she put her hand under her chin, as though she were thinking. “Would you mind finding me a house to rest in for the night?”

It stared blankly at her before turning around and heading back down the hill, almost as if it really were searching for a house for her. She turned around, shaking her head. “It seems like you really do get more cunning with age,” she chuckled to herself.

As Makino got further up the mountain, it became steadily darker and colder, the moon was slowly rising in the sky with every step she took. She looked up as some of the clouds parted and saw a glimpse of one of the battleships that was headed off to war. _I really am high up the mountain_ , she thought and kept pushing forward. The climb got worse as her already weak bones became more frail as snow started falling around her. 

And then she smelled smoke.

—

The ground suddenly shook under her feet and Makino scoured the area to find the source of the tremors. A large metal and wood contraption appeared from the other side of the hill, the size of at least four big houses, she thought, creaked with every step it took towards her. She thought the front looked like a dragon head and realized that this was the rumored red walking castle; though she couldn’t figure out whether it was red from paint or rust. Below it, she saw the scarecrow she had sent off and dreaded what she thinks is happening.

As it hopped over to her, she laid her face in her hand, “Top Hat, isn’t that Shanks’ Castle? This wasn’t what I meant when I asked you to find me a house to rest in! How would I even get inside?”

The castle continued to walk, swaying back and forth, before stopping above where Makino and the scarecrow stood. Letting out giant clouds of steam from every pore of it’s being, it’s mouth opened and it looked as though it were a dog panting after a walk. Makino wondered if maybe this was less of a castle and more of a being carrying waste on it’s back.

It hissed out steam once more before slowly starting to walk again. The two bodies underneath it watched as a lit door passed by them, attached to the moving castle. Makino watched as Top Hat continued to bounce where the door was stationed before thinking that she might have found a way in afterall. 

Pushing herself, she attempted to run down the hill, trying to latch herself onto the handle of the platform. Beside her, Top Hat was still hopping as she finally grabbed one of the guardrails of the doorway. “Please stop moving up and down so much! I really can’t tell if you’re going to let me on or not!” She yelled at the machine.

As if hearing her words, the castle scooped her up onto the platform and sent the cloak on her back flying away in the wind. Makino looked back and saw the scarecrow chasing after it. “I’m sorry, Top Hat, I’m moving on first!” 

Slowly as she opened the door, it creaked under her careful touch. Makino glanced inside and saw a few stairs leading up before she heard the odd sound of dirt being crushed behind her. Turning around she saw that Top Hat was still following her but it had grabbed her cloak that flew away. She smiled softly at the scarecrow, “Thank you, Top Hat. I’m glad there are magical beings out here, willing to help an old woman.” 

“This time, I really mean goodbye!” Makino shouted, lifting her head a little higher. “Find happiness, Top Hat, and maybe break that spell cast on you!” She walked inside and the wind closed the door shut behind her.

—

Peaking above the stairs, she could see nothing but darkness except for the fire moving about in the firepit. Walking daintily over to the fire, she sat down on the chair in front of it and raised the palm of her hands to the flames. Makino looked around at the state of the room and breathed in the stale air filled with dust. It was a pigsty— there were bottles of beer lounging around on the floor and cobwebs in the corners of the room. Makino believes that whoever lived here obviously couldn’t clean up after themselves.

She rubbed her hands together and settled them on her cane, “At least I’m used to messes like this because of Garp,” she murmured to herself. While Garp had never been home much, whenever he was, he often left it as though a storm had passed through.

She put a few logs of wood lying by the chair in the fire and tried to get herself warmed up even more. Her tired eyes looked at the fire for a moment and narrowed as she thought she could make out a face in the flames. “Getting old really makes you see weird things, huh.”

“You’re not seeing things, weird old lady,” the fire responded back. “Anyway, that’s one hell of a spell you’re under.” Her eyes snapped back up to the fire in surprise.

She peered at the fire in awe. “What a cute thing you are. Are you Howl?”

“As if I’m that drunk old man!” The fire snapped back. “I’m the fire demon, Portgas D. Ace!” His breath flamed with his words and Makino could only think the sparks of fire made him look like he had freckles.

“Well, Ace, do you think you could break the spell for me? It’s been giving me a hard time lately.”

“I could do that, no problem! But only if you break the contract I have with stupid Shanks.”

She sighed, first a witch and now a fire demon. “You want me to bargain with a wizard for a demon? There are so many crazy things that are really out in the world.” She paused. “Are you going to keep that promise?”

“I can’t make that promise, old lady. No promises, just this bargain.”

“I’ll try my best but for now, but it’d be best if you’d learn some manners. Calling me an old lady still kind of hurts.” Her eyes felt heavy and she started to fall asleep sitting in the chair.

“Remember our deal, old lady,” the demon paused, “what’s your name then?”

“It’s Makino.” She murmured as darkness shadowed her eyes and sleep took a hold of her.

“Old hag! Makino!” Ace shouted, trying to get her to wake up again to no avail. “Whatever. You better hold up your end of the deal too.” He felt his consciousness weaken as his flames powered the castle. The machine let out a cloud of steam, swinging back and forth, and continuing to walk on through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone wants to hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/iirabbiit) that'd be cute... also i need more shanmaki art,, i only follow one person on twitter who makes art of them


	3. Chapter 3

When Makino woke up, daylight was streaming across her face. The sun, peeking through the windows, illuminated her surroundings and she forgot for a moment where she was. She looked around the room before recalling the events of the previous night and how she snuck into Shank’s castle. Makino thought the room was a little uglier and far dirtier than what she could see in the darkness yesterday. Books and bottles of alcohol, among other things, were stacked on top of each other and took up most of the space in the room. She shuddered at the layer of dust she could see on one of the shelves.

She suddenly heard the loud sound of someone knocking on the door. Her bones popped as she got up and she groaned at the pain she felt with every step she took on the way down the stairs to the entryway. As Makino opened the door, she came face-to-face with a lone man standing there, a scowl on his face. She assumed it was because she kept him waiting. He wore a dark blue top hat that matched his suit and had a flower on each lapel. “Can I help you?” Makino asked tentatively.

“I am the mayor of this town, Outlook the Third, and I’m looking for Mister Red. Does he live here?” The man spoke with an air of utmost importance but it hadn’t mattered to her. She was simply a woman answering the door to a house that didn’t belong to her.

Makino had no clue who or what he was talking about but decided to casually play it off. “He’s not here right now but I can deliver your message to him.”

The apparent mayor handed her a letter that was closed with a gold wax seal. “I sent him a request before but the King wishes to see all magicians.” He turned around and strutted away leaving Makino standing in the doorway, confused at what had just happened. Now that she had a moment to herself, she stuck her head out of the door frame to look around and she realized that they probably weren’t in Foosha anymore. The town looked similar from what she could see, but it had more people running about and taller buildings than where she was from.

Closing the door behind her, she walked back up the stairs and saw a boy standing at the top—a boy she knew very well but had no clue as to why he was here of all places. 

“Luffy?” 

Makino hadn’t seen Luffy, Garp’s grandson, ever since he was sent to be an apprentice for Shakky’s husband a few years before. He looked very different from the last time she saw him. He was taller than before, his hair was a little wilder, and he had a scar with two stitches under his left eye. He also had a straw hat dangling by a chord and resting on his back that looked a little too big for him.

“Who are you? Are you a witch?” He asked bluntly, staring at her in confusion. He took a step back away from where she stood. “Shanks said witches can’t get in.”

In the hearth, Ace flickered to life. “Luffy, you idiot, you forgot to lock the door yesterday and she came in. Shanks put up wards so she can’t be a witch, even though she does have a little bit of magic around her...” The fire stilled. “How do you know my brother, old lady?”

“Brother? And I told you yesterday, my name isn't old lady, it’s Makino.” The demon shrugged her off. She looked back at the boy wearing the straw hat and frowned. “I thought Garp sent you to be an apprentice somewhere. Why are you here?”

Luffy stared at her, his eyes narrowing for a moment before opening wide and he shouted enthusiastically. “Makino! Why’re you here? And why are you old?” 

“You know her, Luffy?” Ace asked.

He nodded his head, “Makino used to take care of me when Gramps left.” He smiled and began his story about how Garp had sent him to be an apprentice under Rayleigh, Shakky’s husband she assumed, who is actually a magician. “... And then I met Shanks who saved me from a sea monster so now he’s teaching me magic!”

“Rayleigh just let you leave?” She asked.

“Yeah, Rayleigh said Shanks was a good teacher and that he had taught some stuff when Shanks was younger so it would be fine.” He paused and cocked his head.“So why’re you old?”

Makino told them about how she had met Shanks the other day and how they had been chased by some black goo monsters. She wasn’t able to explain how or who cursed her but she told them she had come to see if Shanks could undo the curse. 

“So that’s why you’re covered in magic!” Luffy grinned, casually putting his arms behind his head. “Shanks can help but I don’t think he’ll be back until tomorrow.”

A bell under the door dial rung. “Porthaven!” Ace suddenly called out. Makino watched as Luffy put on the hat, his clothes changing and disguising him with a beard and sunglasses with a flare of magic. A black sunflower robe draped down his body, covering everything except his face. 

“Stand by!” Luffy exclaimed as he trotted down the stairs leading to the entrance. The circle dial next to the door had changed from green to blue when Luffy opened the door.

Makino peaked from above the stairs and saw a boy standing in the doorway. She thought he looked to be about Luffy’s age and stood there with a pair of goggles in his hand.

“Here for the usual spell?” Luffy asked. The curly haired boy nodded his head.

The two made their way back up the stairs and Luffy went to grab one of the pouches of nameless substances left on a shelf. Makino turned back to see the boy staring at her before glancing behind him at one of the windows. She walked over to it and was confused. Yet again, it seemed like they were in another place. This time, there were no tall buildings nor streets bustling with cars and people. Instead, it looked to be a sleepy village located by the sea. _Perhaps on an island_ , she thought. 

“Granny, are you a witch, too?” The village boy asked her. He suddenly paled, as if he regretted having opened his mouth. 

She turned around and smiled wickedly. “That’s right. And I’m going to cast a spell on you and eat you.” She raised her hands slightly and moved them about, acting as though she were casting a spell.

The boy looked as though he were contemplating on passing out or running away. She chuckled and Luffy made his way over, giving him a small brown paper. “Sprinkle this power on the ill when the sun rises and when it sets and they’ll get better in a few days.” The boy thanked Luffy and smiled, hurrying his way out the door.

“Makino, are you a witch?” The boy asked, tilting his head to the side and taking off his hat. This disguise came undone in a matter of moments. “Usopp’s a scaredy cat and now he probably thinks he got cursed. But I think you have some magic.” 

As Makino opened her mouth, Ace called out for them to get the door again. “Porthaven!”

Luffy put the straw hat back on and with it, the disguise came back. The circle dial next to the door changed once more and landed on red, a color she had yet to see. “Stand by!” He called out.

The door opened and showed a man wearing a red uniform. His cape wrapped around shoulders and his uniform was buttoned all the way up; he had a stern look on his face, Makino thought that maybe the man did not want to be here. “Is this the residence of the Wizard Shanks?”

“Yes it is.” Luffy said, his voice dropped a little to match his disguise.

“I have an invitation from His Majesty. Give this to your master, he needs to show up to the palace or he’ll be fined.” Without waiting for a reply back, Makino watched as the man turned around and joined his partner in the vehicle waiting behind him. She peeked her head out the door and saw planes flying overhead. Buildings with multiple levels shadowed the house and had more window panes than Makino had ever seen before.

“Makino, the doors gonna close and you’re gonna get stuck here,” Luffy told her. She took a step back into the house and watched as he closed the door and walked back up the stairs before grabbing the door handle and turning it.

The door opened to the plaza where she got the letter from the mayor when she first woke up. Makino closed it and turned the handle again. This time, it took her to the sea side village where the curly-haired boy got medicine from Luffy. She stood for a moment, watching the trees blow in the wind and she could faintly smell the ocean breeze. She closed it once more and it led to the high stone buildings with the green glass windows she had seen when the soldier gave Luffy the letter. She stuck her head out and could see a palace in the back, high above every other building, with planes that flew flags soaring above it.

“I don’t understand,” Makino told herself as she went to go sit back down. Then, seeing that the fire was slowly going out, she added more logs to the pit and brushed some of the ashes into a waste bin.

Luffy called her name from above. “You want some breakfast?”

With an empty stomach, Makino found that she was a hale old woman after all. The last meal she had had was her bread and cheese sandwich from supper time yesterday and she was now absolutely famished. Peering over Luffy’s shoulder, she saw a dresser with vegetables, some rotting, and other foods stacked on it. However, Luffy only grabbed a loaf of bread and a plate that had some cheese that did not smell like it was quite right. “Sorry, there’s only bread and cheese.” Luffy told her rather stiffly.

Makino lifted some of the vegetables and found a silver tray with uncooked bacon. “Luffy, how does bacon and cheese sandwiches sound?” She knew his stomach was always a black hole when she would take care of him when he was younger.

His face lit up and he laughed. “I can’t cook and Shanks usually uses Ace to cook but without Shanks, Ace won’t cook for anyone.”

“I’m a demon and I’m not going to be used as cooking fire,” Ace told them. “I hate when Shanks does that.”

“Sorry Ace. Can't you just do it this one time?” Makino asked nicely.

He stared at the old woman and wondered if her ears didn’t work even before she was cursed. “I can’t cook your food without Shanks around.” He flickered back at her.

“We’ll see about that.” She put the pan on top of the flames and turned a deaf ear to Ace’s complaints. She leaned in closer, “If you don’t let me cook, maybe my old memory will slip up and forget to not tell Shanks about our deal. You don’t want your brother to starve would you?”

“You wouldn’t!” Ace glared but calmed down when he saw the truth in Makino’s threat, the old lady would do it too. Maybe she wouldn’t tell him Shanks, at least not immediately, but she would hold Luffy over his head for a while. She had also taken care of Luffy so maybe he owed her at least a meal. “Whatever, this is for Luffy’s sake, not yours.”

“Thank you, Ace,” Makino said, and separated the bacon stripes before slapping them and the pan onto the fire. As the bacon sizzled, Makino wrapped her hand in her skirt to grab the pan’s hot handle. 

Luffy stared at her hand in momentary pause. “You’re like Shanks.”

Before Makino could question him, a voice spoke out from the entrance of the room and Makino hurriedly turned around at the new voice. The bacon sizzled in the pan as the door closed behind the red-haired man who had just walked in. He looked a bit different than when Makino had first seen him at the festival but she couldn’t place why.

“Shanks! You’re back!” Luffy smiled. The tall older man looked around at the state of the room before looking behind them at the fire. Shanks brushed some strands of hair back from his face before directing his attention towards Makino. 

“Who are you?” Shanks asked as he looked her over. He smiled at her. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

Makino refused to believe the handsome man that had saved her during the festival was also the drunk, messy wizard that took care of Luffy. The same one that angered the Witch of the Waste and caused her to curse Makino like this. “I’m no one, just a stranger,” Makino lied. 

“It’s okay, Shanks! It’s Makino, I know her!” Luffy looked at her standing next to him.

“And how did she make Ace let her use his fire?” asked Shanks.

“None of your business!” Ace flickered, and Shanks only laughed before turning back to Makino.

Shanks hummed thoughtfully before walking over to the bacon cooking on the heart. “Excuse me, Miss” he told her before he wrapped his hand in his sleeve and grabbed the handle of the pan. “Ace usually doesn't let anyone but me cook on him,” he said. He gestured with a tilt of his head to where the other food was. “Pass me six eggs, please, and tell me why you’ve decided to break into my house.”

Makino grabbed the basket lying on the table and passed him egg after egg. He took his hand off the handle and let Ace hold the pan for him as he cracked an egg. After looking around the castle, it seemed obvious what Shanks could use some help with. “I’m your new cleaning lady, of course.”

He looked down at her with a knowing gleam in his eye and cracked the other eggs one-handed before tossing the shells to burn among the logs, where Ace seemed to be eating them. “Who hired you? Luffy knows you but he wouldn’t care one bit about hygiene. Boy probably hasn’t washed in a few days.”

“It was Ace,” she said. Makino knew he didn’t believe her but he still went on with her charade.

“A fire demon,” he chuckled and lifted the pan to see Ace’s face, “is worried about how clean the house is when he’s usually fine sitting in a pile of ash all day?”

“He said that he was tired of living in filth and that your drunk self couldn’t be bothered to tidy up the place. I agree, this place is disgusting.”

“Is that so?” Shanks hummed and the corners of his mouth turned upward before calling for his apprentice. “Luffy, plates. Come get breakfast.” He grabbed the pan from where it sat on the fire and carried it to one of the tables that was partly covered in books and papers.

Luffy grabbed the wooden spoon and poured the booked onto everyone’s plates before stuffing his mouth. 

“So how long are you going to stay with us, Miss cleaning lady?” Shanks asked. He cut up his food with his fork and proceeded to eat.

“My name is Makino, you can stop calling me Miss. I’ll give you a trial of a month to see if you like my work.” Shanks hummed as if thinking about it and then laughed.

“You’re interesting.” He finished most of his plate before going over to Ace and dumping some scraps into the fire demon’s mouth. He took off his cloak and Makino realized that one of his arms was missing. He felt her gaze and looked back at her. “What is it?”

“I didn't know you were missing an arm.” Makino searched in her memories from the other day and she remembered grabbing onto both of his hands when they were flying.

“I lost my arm a few years back when I first met Luffy.” The boy in question was oblivious to them talking about him. “I use magic to have another arm for appearances sake. If people found out, I’d probably get more requests from other kingdoms thinking they could use me because they thought I was weaker.” A dangerous gleam showed in his eyes and Makino shuddered.

The wizard smiled and made his way towards the stairs leading to the next floor. “Ace, move the castle 100 kilometers to the west and heat up the bath please.”

“Heat it up yourself!” Ace retorted.

—

While Shanks was upstairs, the only thing to do, Makino decided, was to show the man that she was a great cleaning lady—one that could stay in the castle until she removed the curse. She pulled her kerchief loose from her hair to cover the lower half of her mouth and rolled her sleeves up. She grabbed a bucket and a broom from near one of the cupboards and began to get to work. As soon as she scrubbed the first room of the castle, dust started to rise in the air.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” cried Ace as Luffy stood next to him, coughing harshly.

“I’m cleaning. I thought that was obvious.” She raised an eyebrow. “This place is filthy. Luffy, start moving things out of the way so I can clean this whole room.”

As Luffy moved back and forth to put some belongings outside while Makino swept, she heard a voice call for her. She looked about and walked over to the fire pit to see Ace’s fire climb between the bits of logs and ashes. She brought him up and onto a new log of wood before his fire went out.

The fire demon stared at her, thinking before he spoke. “Thank you for watching over my brother before, Miss Makino. If anything had happened before Shanks found him, I would’ve been stuck like this forever.” 

“Does it have anything to do with the deal you have with the magician?” He frowned, unable to say a word about the deal, but his eyes spoke enough to confirm without words.

“Well, I suppose it’s just water under the bridge now. Let’s work hard together then, okay?” She smiled, hopeful that they could work together to solve their problems.

The fire flared up for a second before quickly settling back down. Ace looked at her and then avoided her eyes. “Whatever. Just get rid of all this ash before I go out in a pile of it.” He said please a moment after and Makino’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would simply die without my beta, like where would i be without her? i just do not know. i will write a fic for her one of these days.


End file.
